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Our plan today

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Learning Objectives• 1. Understand the different but complementary role of the business

analyst and project manager. • 2. Understand how the business analyst's different perspective can

cause friction with the project manager. • 3. To plan for successful delivery of your project, meeting the needs

of the project stakeholders plus wider organisation, in collaboration with your business analysts.

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‘the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques

to project activitiesto meet the project

requirements’

‘Business analysis is the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to: • Determine problems and identify business needs;• Identify and recommend viable solutions to meet those needs;• Elicit, document and manage stakeholder requirements in order to

meet the business and project objectives;• Facilitate the successful implementation of the project, service or

end result of the project or program.In short, business analysis is the set of activities performed to identify business needs and recommend relevant solutions; and to elicit, document and manage requirements.’

How would you rate the relationship between project managers and business analysts in your

current or last project?

• Very good - they work productively together, building on one another's strengths.

• OK - it could be better, but on the whole they get the job done.

• Poor - there are real problems in the relationship that affect the work done

• Awful - they don't work together effectively.• I don't know

The survey results:

The survey results:

“In my organization, PMs are mere administrators with little insight about the intricacies of what is required. I have spent literally hours trying to explain my PM the why of something for him to respond: 'But this will be done by tomorrow, right?' Thus I do not bother now. I use passive-aggressive techniques & yoga to counteract the frustration.”

“The PM is under pressure to get the project finished on time. The BA (me!) can see opportunities for delivery of significant organizational efficiencies being missed by an overly ambitious timeline. The PM has very narrow view, whereas focus of BA is probably more enterprise-wide. ”

“As a PM I often had the experience that BAs stay at an academic level and are not always in touch with the real world.”

“BAs have an agenda, which is not aligned to the project. They get upset when they have to work within given constraints.”

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Let’s look on the bright side…

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Top Tips for BAson working with PMs

26“PMI” is a registered trade and service mark of the Project Management Institute, Inc. ©2012 Permission is granted to PMI for PMI® Marketplace use only.

#1 Be a Leader too…

27“PMI” is a registered trade and service mark of the Project Management Institute, Inc. ©2012 Permission is granted to PMI for PMI® Marketplace use only.

#2 Use a common language – develop a common understanding

28“PMI” is a registered trade and service mark of the Project Management Institute, Inc. ©2012 Permission is granted to PMI for PMI® Marketplace use only.

#3 Work together from the start, building on each other’s strengths and developing a good working relationship.

29“PMI” is a registered trade and service mark of the Project Management Institute, Inc. ©2012 Permission is granted to PMI for PMI® Marketplace use only.

#4 The organization matters…

30“PMI” is a registered trade and service mark of the Project Management Institute, Inc. ©2012 Permission is granted to PMI for PMI® Marketplace use only.

#5: Iterate and learn as you go.

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What will you do differently now?

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Who said this?“For me, it's not about project success,

it's about business success.

I'd rather can a bad project

than drive it to an ‘on budget, on scope,

on time’ delivery of negligible benefit.”

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What questions do you have?

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Dr Penny Pullan

penny@makingprojectswork.co.uk

+44 (0) 1509 821691

www.makingprojectswork.co.uk

www.baleadership.com

@pennypullan

Contact Information